Bright Spot: Michael Chavis Demolished His First Career Homer In Red Sox Loss

BOSTON (CBS) --  With the Bruins and Maple Leafs clashing in a thrilling Game 7 on Tuesday night, there's a good chance you didn't bother watching the Red Sox lose to the Detroit Tigers for the second time in a 10-hour span. It was a wise decision, because you really didn't miss much in the nightcap, a 4-2 Boston loss.

There was one highlight however, and one that top prospect Michael Chavis will always remember. The 23-year-old third baseman went yard for the first time in his Major League career in the eighth inning Tuesday night, absolutely crushing a Victor Alcantara changeup deep into the night's sky:

There was nothing cheap about Chavis' blast. The homer went over everything at Fenway Park and traveled a projected distance of 441 feet, the longest home run hit by a Red Sox player this season.

"I felt like I was floating, honestly," Chavis said of his trip around the bases. "Just kind of tried not to sprint. I've seen a couple of other guys hitting their first home runs and they sprint because they're so excited. I kind of tried to act like I had hit a home run before and stayed calm in that kind of moment. It was special for sure."

Making the moment even more special is that Chavis' mother was in the stands to see it. She was a trooper, sitting through both of Boston's defeats on Tuesday. Her reward: Chavis is giving her the ball.

"Oh, man, I'm sure she was going crazy," he said of his mother. "After the game, I gave her a big hug. Any time she can come out to a game it's special. Obviously we travel a lot and she doesn't get to come out as often as she likes, but her being here might have been the biggest part, honestly."

With the homer going over the Green Monster and landing on Lansdowne Street, there was some negotiating that had to be done to get the ball back. A father and son found the ball, and when asked about a potential swap, they requested a Dustin Pedroia signed baseball.

"I need to thank Dustin because apparently he signed (another) ball so that whoever found it would give me the ball," Chavis told MassLive. "And they were very gracious. So if they see this, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. It's not going to happen again. So it's really special."

The homer cut Boston's deficit to 3-2 at the time, but the Tigers tacked on another run in the top of the ninth. The Red Sox fell to 9-15 after the loss, and dropping two to the Tigers in one day pretty much wipes out any good feelings from Boston's weekend sweep of the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.

But while the present doesn't seem all that promising, at least Chavis is giving a glimmer of hope for the future.

In:
• MLB
• Boston Red Sox